


Believe Me

by orphan_account



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 07:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7966966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which there's a bed with two ambitious girls, who believe in each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Believe Me

When Lydia comes rushing through the door she already has her hand in her hair, pulling out the needles holding her braid in place. Isabelle looks up from her book, unwilling to pull away from the warmth of her blank.

"Bad day?" she asks because Lydia's body is basically screaming in frustration.  
" _Stressful_ day." Lydia shrugs off her jacket, a gesture more casual than she would ever allow herself in front of anyone else. Isabelle smiles and keeps a finger inbetween the pages when she closes her book. "Although I guess you could also say bad as well, yes."

She huffs when she slides off her pants.

Isabelle corrects her bra strap. "On a scale of zero to minus ten, how supportive of you were my parents in the seelie case?"  
Lydia scoffs, her lipstick smudged in the corner of her mouth that is curving upwards when she looks at Izzy.

"How do you do it?" she asks when she lifts up the blanket linking her legs with Izzy's. Izzy's braid almost smacks her in the eye when her head snaps up.   
She didn't expect that question. No one's ever asked it before.

"Sweetheart." Her hand curls along Lydia's jaw. "I've never had to run an Institute before. I hardly think the situations are comparable."

Lydia looks at her with a familiar intensity, the look Simon christened "downright x-ray vision, it's badass," taking Isabelle's insides apart with one glance.  
"You've been mediating between Downworlders and Shadowhunters for _years_ , Isabelle. Don't sell yourself short. You were born to fight the kind of prejudice the Clave represents, your _parents_ represent."

Izzy's toes curl. Her hand wanders down Lydia's side to her hips, her chest tight.   
Lydia smiles, her finger tracing Izzy's _Enkeli_ rune, the look in her eyes turning soft when she notices the goosebumps spreading over Izzy's skin.

"You're incredible," she says. "You're going to make history some day."  
Izzy's lips pull apart like a reflex, like Lydia coaxing it out of her with seven words is inevitable. She presses closer.   
"What about you?" she asks.  
"Me?" Lydia says it like the question is completely unexpected. She considers it for a second. "This is all I've ever wanted." She looks down at Izzy. "And more. I expected it to be hard. I just... Maybe I expected it to get easier, eventually."

Izzy frowns. "It hasn't?"  
"I guess it has. There is just always something to make me feel unwanted. Sometimes..." She kisses the top of Izzy's head, in a terribly unsubtle attempt to avoid looking at her. "It doesn't feel like enough."

When Izzy looks up at her, Lydia's expression is apologetic.  
"I don't know if I can make that go away," Izzy admits. "I need you, though. To make history."

Lydia laughs, throaty and tired.

"I'll pull through. I've done this all my life. Now I just... have a few more enemies in the Clave. It's going to be fine." She closes her eyes. "You're here."

Their hands interlace. Izzy smiles, throwing her book over her shoulder.

"I'm going to be here." The promise sounds into the quiet.


End file.
